Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/610602
Primary Goals • Improve audience experience. • Provide reasonable consistency across different online streams from different sources. • Provide reasonable consistency within a specific online stream for its different programs. • Provide a consistent real-time production target for stream loudness. • Obtain a loudness that is well suited for mobile listening. • Avoid loudness jumps when external mate- rial (such as advertisements) is inserted into stream content. • Prevent excessive peak limiting or other processing from degrading perceived audio quality. • Avoid a loudness war among streamers. Now available at www.izotope.com/rxsuite Get more work done, faster, and deliver ahead of schedule with our comprehensive suite of post production solutions. Includes RX 5 Advanced Audio Editor, RX Final Mix, RX Loudness Control, Insight, and special partner products and videos. Unfortunately, in reading further through the AES docu- ment, the above applies only to "radio-like mono and stereo streams." Clearly, the AES has not begun to address the need for loudness and streaming of movies and television "often with 5.1 surround sound and highly dynamic con- tent." While the AES document is well done, after attending a presentation by several key members of ATSC 3.0, I now understand why the AES is reluctant to attempt their own guidelines for Web television audio. The AES would rather wait for ATSC 3.0 to complete their work. The goal of ATSC 3.0 is to address the concerns raised since 1.0, with accommodation to new technology, including immersive surround. As the expected release of 3.0 is not until 2016, we are left with the systems presently in place. It appears implementation of ATSC 3.0 will require major changes in audio systems from production to transmission to home receivers. ATSC 3.0 is very ambitious. It will be interesting to see how much of the ATSC 3.0 guidelines survive the practicalities of the audio market. • © 2015 Edward J. Greene